Youths are the future—and the Credit Unions of Jamaica is living up to this belief in its young professionals. At the 2025 NeXGen Youth Summit, held during the Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union League’s Convention and Annual General Meeting from June 5 to 8 at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa, the Movement took youth empowerment to the next level. The Summit was sponsored by the Quality Network Co-operative (QNET), a subsidiary of the Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union League Limited.
This year’s Summit drew over 100 attendees, up from 70 the previous year, bringing together young professionals and staff aged 18 to 40 years from credit unions across the island. The young professionals were invited to network, learn about cooperative principles, explore career opportunities both regionally and globally, and develop innovative solutions to connect credit unions with their members, potential members, and the communities they serve.
In addition to workshops where participants tackled real-world financial sector challenges, they also heard from motivational speaker Krystal Tomlinson, who shared insights on creating personal and professional change.
Among the Convention speakers, Colin Bartholomew, Dean for Co-operative Studies and Manager for Innovation and Enterprise Development at Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies in Trinidad and Tobago, attended the Youth Summit. He was deeply impressed by the dedication and potential displayed by the young professionals. Inspired by their drive, he pledged five scholarships, one for each of Jamaica’s credit unions’ young professionals, to study at Cipriani College, the only institution in the region offering accredited degrees in Cooperative Management.
With this new group of attendees, the NeXGen network now has more than 180 members, all dedicated to fostering the co-operative spirit and strengthening the bond between young people and the Credit Union Movement.
